TNA Ownership Timeline, With Comments By Former Employee

Bill Behrens

August 6, 2009

What follows is a TNA "Ownership Timeline" that was created by Marcus Cygy at http://www.cygy.com/ , with comments in bold type by former TNA Prodsuction Manager, Randy Ricci http://nawf.com/blog/?p=1005 . The timetable is informative, and Mr. Ricci’s comments are his opinion clearly, but interesting. Randy Ricci sent this to me…

Enjoy……….

For me this is good info. It’s nothing I didn’t know but, the timelines they provide are good as I just haven’t had the time or brain power of late to dig it up. It’s well written and unbiased. I’m sorry but, I can’t acchieve that as I am emotionally involved.
Either way, look for my comments in bold because I have some good stuff on the topics as I was talking with Jeff, Jerry, etc. for some of it.

By Marcus Cygy
As many wrestling critics will tell you right now, the privately traded TNA Entertainment wrestling promotion is going through backstage turmoil of sorts.

Since the day TNA Wrestling was first founded in 2002, to the immediate days of when Panda Energy became a majority owner, co-founder Jeff Jarrett has remained atop the political ladder of business in TNA. Well now the legitimate woman in power, TNA President and Chairwoman Dixie Carter, has begun flexing her muscles upon progressing a political power shift.

If memory serves, Dixie was working somehow with WCW or Jeff personally selling WCW merchandise. I can’t confirm but, I was lead to believe that she was such a fan of wrestling that she was offering her services for nothing. I mean that was the “word” anyway.

For those unclear of TNA Wrestling’s ownership details, I have written up a timeline that will highlight the business moves that have occurred between the Jarrett and Carter family over the years.

Here is the TNA Wrestling ownership timeline:

May 10, 2002: Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, traded as J Sports and Entertainment, is founded by father and son, Jerry and Jeff Jarrett.

Jeff actually planned on starting the company with his own $1 million investment. I had always kept in touch with Jerry Jarrett over the years. Jerry is a creative cat. There have been some really good ideas he had asked me to get involved with that were “NEAR SUCCESS’S”!
Years back, I started a wrestling school and I asked Jerry to endorse it. Here’s what he had to say:

“Rockin’ Randy worked for me on and off for 5 years. He is a charismatic personality and premiere athlete who is most proficient in ring skills. In the right setting, Randy will be a premiere player in our industry.”

(not sure if he’d say it today though). The timeline says May of ‘02.

I would say then, in May of 01, I had been communicating with Jerry with ideas in regard to the wrestling business. He told me that Jeff had been talking to him as well and that we were both “nuts” and “marks” because the industry was DEAD! Jerry may have even coined the phrase “deader than Kelseys nuts” when he said it. He told me “I’m going to tell you the same thing I told Jeff…give it up! Its over!! You are both smart and young and if you want to, come work for me. I’m now a developer and the smartest thing I ever did was giving up wrestling for this!”

At the time, I held Jerry in a very high regard (I still do but, I have a bit of an axe to grind). So, hearing this from what I considered, “the horse’s mouth” sucked!